INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - During Wednesday's interview session at the NFL Combine, former Bulldog running back Brian Herrien was among those who met with reporters prior to Thursday's on-field drills.
Below, hear what he had to say:
How difficult was it not to play with your teammates in the Sugar Bowl?
Herrien: “It was kind of difficult, because I always wanted to be there for my teammates. But at the same time, stuff happens. So I just went and started working out for the Combine and Pro Day.”
Why weren’t you there?
Herrien: “Conduct, I guess. I don’t have a word for it.”
But you had a pretty strong record of being a leader; did something happen toward the end of the year?
Herrien: “Something happened, we just didn’t get anything back until later on. Nobody really knew.”
What would you tell respective running backs thinking about Georgia?
Herrien: “I’d tell them the competition is going to be good but you’re going to be coached hard every day. There’s no slack. Everybody has to work for their job, and they’ve got to compete. But if you want to get better, it’s a great place to go. No coach is going to sugarcoat anything with you. You’re going to win games, but you’ve got to compete. You’re going to work hard, but you’ve got to put more on yourself as well, to win championships and bigger games.”
Do you feel you’re the same caliber of Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and D’Andre Swift?
Herrien: “I do feel I’m the same caliber. Nick and Sony always told me the same thing. My freshman year, Nick and Sony always told me they were afraid I was going to take their spot. I’m looking at them like ‘C’mon, now.' But they always encouraged me to keep going and stuff. He (Chubb) always told me the kind of player he thought I was; Sony did, too.”
What did it mean to hear that from Chubb?
Herrien: “It meant a lot, because he was a good player. He was before me. Doing what he’s doing now in the NFL, for him to say that about me means a lot.”
What does it mean to be here?
Herrien: “It means a lot. Growing up, I always wanted to be at the Combine, be in the NFL. That was a dream of mine and why I’m still playing today."
How far did the dream seem when you were in high school?
Herrien: “It still feels the same. I never doubted myself in any aspect. I just kept pushing to where I wanted to be."
Never a doubt?
Herrien: “Never a doubt. I had an interview in high school, where I was asked what is going to be Plan B. I told them I didn’t have one. I had only Plan A, and I was going to make it work.”
Nothing else?
Herrien: “No. I could have had some alternative plans, but I knew what I wanted to do, and I wanted to make it work, so I went ahead and got the job done.”
What do you want to show NFL teams?
Herrien: “I can do the same thing. I’ve got speed, run fast in the 40, jump in the vertical, jump in the broad jump; I’ll be going through the drills as good as I can.”
What do you do better than some of the guys here?
Herren: “Jump, athletic ability, run; catch the ball out of the backfield.”
Are there some numbers you are shooting for?
Herrien: “I would like to get a 40 in the vertical, get a 10.8 in the broad jump; I’d like to get a 4.49 or a 4.45 in the 40; those are numbers I’m shooting for.”
How many reps in the bench press?
Herrien: “I’m not sure. I want to get at least 20.”
How did playing for Georgia prepare you?
Herrien: “It prepared me pretty well. We even had a couple of days in the spring, a little combine, a little junior day, so we did a little of this before.”
What are your strengths?
Herrien: “Just my ability to run, catch the ball, jump, be explosive in my lower body, and just be able to catch the ball.”
What was your favorite memory at Georgia?
Herrien: “Probably my first game, my first carry, and my first touchdown. It happened all on one play. I got in and scored a touchdown, so that’s probably the most memorable moment for me.”
How did coming out of high school when you weren’t the most highly recruited guy help you?
Herrien: “I feel like it has. Coming out of high school, everybody was the best player in their state, the best player in their county, whatever. Everybody was a superstar, but when you get to college, everybody is the same.”
Have you talked with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel about going through the process?
Herrien: “I’ve talked to Nick and Sony a lot, Mecole (Hardman), Jonathan Ledbetter. Even though the drills have changed a little bit, I still talk to them about the process that goes on here.”
What kind of advice have they given you?
Herrien: “They tell me to just stay calm, get the interviews done, talk to everybody with respect, always say yes sir, no sir. There’s a lot of medical stuff at the beginning of the Combine; they told me to get through that stuff with a level head.”
How ready do you think you and D’Andre (Swift) are?
Herrien: “I think we’re ready. Me and Dre, Coach (Del) McGee, he taught us a lot of things. He knew he had to be ready to go early because at UGA, a running back is probably going to leave every year. You’ve got to be ready to step up anytime somebody leaves.”
What would be the one game you’d like to show NFL scouts?
Herrien: “Probably the Tennessee game this year. It was the most yards I had at one time in a game. I had one of the biggest runs in that game; it was just a great game.”
What will Georgia’s offense look like this year?
Herrien: “I still think it’s going to be a run-first team. They’ve still got a lot of running backs to do so, so I’d imagine they’re still going to run the ball. It’s working.”
What kind of offense would you like to play in; how can you help a team?
Herrien: “It really doesn’t matter. I feel I can do anything in any offense, special teams, kick return; receiver, slot, whatever I’ve got to play, I still feel like I can do anything.”
What areas of the Combine have you been preparing for?
Herrien: “Working on the 40, 10-yard split, L drills, catching the ball, running a couple of chutes. Even though they took the chute out of the workout, I’ve still been working on it.”
What makes you think you can succeed?
Herrien: “Just my attitude, my competitiveness. I’ll compete in everything. I don’t care who it is, I’ll make them compete for their job.”
What teams have you met with?
Herrien: “I’ve kind of met with everybody. It’s going good. I kind of already had this experience at the NFLPA Game, so I’m used to it by now.”
What are they asking you?
Herrien: “What’s my favorite play, what’s my favorite run play, they asked us about protections and stuff. They’ll teach you some of the stuff they do, but it will kind of be the same because we (Georgia) also run a pro-style offense.”
What is your favorite play?
Herrien: “It’s an inside zone run.”
What do you like about it the most?
Herrien: “I just like to run in between tackles. When you run inside-out, you can bounce it outside most of the time. If it’s just outsize zone, you can only run outside.”
Least favorite play?
Herrien: “Outside zone run, because when you’re running outside, you’ve already got to have your mind made up or there has to be a definite read that you’re cutting it back. If it’s the short side of the field, you might end up running it out of bounds, because you’re too close. That’s why I like to run it inside.”
Florida fans said your one-handed catch against them was incomplete.
Herrien: “No, it was a catch. Of course they didn’t want it to be complete, so I understand where they’re coming from.”
What was your biggest rivalry game?
Herrien: “For me, it was Tennessee, because my freshman year me and Sony, that was my first start there. Nick had hurt his ankle in the Ole Miss game the week before, so it was just me and Sony playing that game. I felt I had a good game. Sony had a good game. The game was going good; it was like 17-0 going into the half. We came out of halftime and everything flipped. We were down for a little bit; we thought we had the game won and then they hit that Hail Mary at the end, it kind of hurt, and I never liked Tennessee again. I just never liked them.”
What’s your favorite D’Andre Swift memory?
Herrien: “His dancing. He doesn’t do it a lot, but when he does, it’s always a new one.”
